A ray of sun, a dusting of snow transform a scene.
The cleanliness of the windshield too.
After my friend Tim moved to Brooklyn years ago, I often visited him there.
It was as close to city driving as I ever wanted to get.
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At each street corner you were accosted by a man or youth brandishing a squeegee. Unless you were forceful, your windshield got cleaned and then you were to pay. Or suffer consequences.
It was a racket but sometimes it was handy, if you’d been driving through muddy streets or had a “buggy” windshield.
Though they were never around when you could use their service.
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For quite a few years I drove to Brooklyn after work on Christmas Day. There wasn’t much traffic, but parking could be a problem especially if the streets were blocked with snow.
After dinner and festivities, I drove home through the cold dark streets. Luckily, I never had car trouble. It was only later on that I had a cellphone.
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When I did acquire such a phone, it was mostly so I could summon help in the event of a breakdown. I had had this happen to me on more than one occasion, stranding me in most inconvenient places.
What I remember about those breakdowns was my anxiety over being late for work and over the amount a repair and towing was going to cost.
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Working an early shift, I spent a lot of time waiting around in a dark parking lot, but I was never frightened because there was no need to be.
Nowadays, when you are out and about, it seems you are not necessarily safe anywhere in this country.
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People are more and more enraged every day for more and more reasons.
It’s like a merry-a-round gone out of control. You just want to pull the plug and yell STOP!
For the love of God, STOP!
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My corner of the world is peaceful but it is not all that remote and it is not inconceivable that bad things could happen here.
In fact there have been shootings not far from where I live, but large angry crowds are not something I am likely to be confronted by.
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My demise is more likely to be caused by falling over some piece of cat paraphernalia.
So, I have much to be grateful for.
And I am so fortunate to be sitting safely on the sidelines, but frustrated at being unable to help in any meaningful way.
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This is not at all what I intended to write today but this is where the mention of a dirty windshield got me.
Extraordinary.
Last night I finally forced myself to write my overseas Christmas cards. I’m getting to the rest. There aren’t many now.
There is no letter this year.
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Instead of a letter, there is what I suppose is a short story. Something I intend to write about here.
When I do, you will get an illustrated version.
Provided I can find the right photographs.
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Sunny scenes on 27th November.
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My favourite sort of day.
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A different route home that day.
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Which way now?
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Mechanicville smoke caught my eye.
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And this strange little tree.
Some sort of crab apple perhaps.
Right…Christmas cards…
Thank you, Carolyn, for today’s philosophical musing that resonates with me. I could walk in central London at night and nothing would happen, today London isn’t safe even in daytime. Remember ,
the song, “Stop the world, I want to get off!”
I like your outside Christmas decorations!
Joanna
That smoky picture really is very satisfying! I look forward to the illustrated short story.
Oh yes, I can’t wait for the illustrated Christmas story either! I’m sure you’re not going to have a problem getting the appropriate ones among all your thousands of photos. Yes, unfortunately, safety is also an issue here in SA (it took us almost a year to find out where it is safe where we live now – and of course that is not guaranteed).
I just love your snowy photos – maybe this is my favourite season on your blog …
I only have a mobile phone in case I break down. But we have a subscription to a breakdown service (the AA) so roadside repairs are free. I agree that so many people seem to be angry these days, but living in Beetley means I escape that, unless I have to venture into a city like London, which is very rare. I would not want to live anywhere in a country where so many people have access to guns, and are seemingly so eager to use them.
I have given up on Christmas cards now, the stamps cost five times more than the cards, thanks to the privatisation of Royal Mail.
Best wishes, Pete.